August meter



(No Model.)

A. MEYER. SHOE FASTENING.

No. 470,584. v Patented Mar. 8, 1892. V

m: Noam Parana 120., rnoroirrnu."wnsnmawn, n. c.

' UN TED STAT S PATENT OFFICE,

AUGUST MEYER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TW'O-THIRDS TO DECATUR H. MILLER, J R., AND MEYER S. HESS, OF SAME PLACE.

SHOE-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,584, dated March 8, 1892.

Application filed August 11, 1891. Serial No; 402,394. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Auousr MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe- Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use .the same.

My invention relates to shoe-fasteners; and has for its object the construction of a simple, durable, and effective device for securing the end or ends of a shoe, glove, or corset string, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front view of the upper part of a shoe provided with my improved fasteners; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan of the fastener detached from the shoe; Fig. 3, a plan with the upper jaw removed; Fig. 4, an end view of the base with the upper jaw shown in dotted lines. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detail perspectives of the several parts of the fastener.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters thereon, A indicates the shoe; B 13, my improved fasteners, which consist of a base a, having prongs b b, by which it is secured to a shoe, glove, corset, or other article of wearing apparel, a boss or projection 0, provided with a recess d in its side, and an inclined upper surface e,in which is a central aperture f to receive a rivet g to hold the several parts of the device together, and an aperture h to receive one endof a coiled spring 2. The lower jaw 7c is provided with a fiat cylindrical rear portion Z, in which is a round opening m, which fits over the boss 0 of the base a and is provided with rearwardly-inclined ribs n n and a groove 0 intermediate the ribs and avertical projection or finger p, which works in the recess din the boss 0 and limits the movement of the jaws.

q indicates the upper jaw, which is provided with a cylindrical portion 1', having a recess 8 in its under side to receive the spring 2', a groove t in the wall of said recess for the horizontal end a of the spring, and an aperture c for the rivet g. The jaw is provided with rearwardlydnclined ribs to w w, the middle one of which is the widest and is the counterpart of the groove 0 in the jaw is, groovesac m, with which the ribs 01 n of the lower jaw e11- gage, and with an aperture y, through which the upper end of the finger p of the lower jaw projects.

The ribs and grooves in the adjacent surfaces of the jaws form corrugations which clamp the string, and to facilitate the entering or the string the outer ends of both jaws are inclined toward each other, as shown at 2.

When a shoe has been laced, the ends of the string or lacing are fastened by inserting the string between the outer ends of the jaws and drawing the string toward the boss on the base and toward the limb of the wearer, which will cause the jaws to separate and turn rearward on the boss of the base, and as soon as the string is released the spring *6 moves the jaws forward and clamps the string between them.

Any motion of the foot that will draw upon the spring cannot affect the fastener to loose the'string; but to disengage the string from the jaws the string must first be drawn up toward the limb, which will separate the jaws, and then outward from the foot.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A fastener-consisting of abase-plate having a boss on itsupper surface, a lower laterally-movable jaw engaging said boss, and an upper vertically and laterally movable jaw, in combination with an inclosed spring.

2. A fastener consisting of abase-plate having a cylindrical boss on its upper surface, a lower pivoted jaw engaging and vibrating upon said boss, and an upper pivoted jaw connected to the lower jaw, in combination with a spring between the upper jaw and the boss on the base.

8. A fastener consisting of a base-plate provided with a boss having an inclined upper surface and a pair of jaws, pivoted, laterally movable, and separable, connected to said boss, in combination withan inclosed spring.

4. A fastener consisting of a boss having a recess in its periphery, a lower pivoted jaw provided with a finger engaging said recess, surface, apair of pivoted and vertically-sepaand an upper pivoted jaw with which said rable jaws having contiguous clamping-surfinger engages, in combination with a spring. faces inclined toward said boss, and a spring. 5. A fastener consisting of a base-plate, a In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein 5 pair of verticallyseparable and laterallypresence of two Witnesses. movable jaws having longitudinally-corrugated contiguous surfaces and pivotaily se- AUGUS1 MEYER cured to the base, and an inclosed spring. Witnesses:

6. Afastenerconsisting of a base-plate hav- J NO. T. MADDOX,

IO ing a boss provided with an inclined upper FRANCIS 1-I. ABBEs. 

